rock climbing shoes?

[treesandsurf]

I know there's a few rock jocks here... They probably wouldn't be too comfy for standing in spikes but what about pruning jobs? Seems they would give a bit more 'grab' on the tree??

jp

 

[NickfromWI]

No way. They are designed for grabbing on ROCK hard surfaces. Not to mention that they are best worn very, very snug. Nothing you could do for a couple hours in a tree.

Some approach shoes might work

 

[treesandsurf]

Never say Never~! These look kind of cool:

jp

 

[NickfromWI]

Those have a steel support in the footbed. I could rock them!

 

[SkwerI]

I know a couple climbers that wear those style shoes. One of them is a former Florida ISA climbing champion.

I couldn't wear them. I have wide feet and just looking at those pictures makes my feet hurt! However, I do wear hiking/ backpacking style boots with and without spikes. My last pair of Montrails were some of the most comfortable I've found. My current Asolos are even lighter but the right boot has a bad pressure point due to misalignment in the stitching or something. It folds and presses down into the top of my big toe when I walk. I'll be going back to the Montrails next time.

Asolo FSN 95 GTX Hiking Boots

Montrail Torre GTX

 

[No_Bivy]

scarpa big wall boot...whatever it's called

 

[MasterBlaster]

Any of those shoes would work great for trimming.

 

[Blinky]

Lowa Tempest Lo

Best gripping light shoe I've used. Excellent for footlocking.
I don't like hi tops. I use and old pair of Vasque Hiker II's for spiking... I'm talking old, bought'em in 1981.

I've used Fire's (however you type that... fee-ray) for pruning before, gave me a serious case of hot foot after a couple of hours.

 

[No_Bivy]

........no you didn't..?................

 

[darkstar]

I deffinatly do not ware rock climbing shoes in trees,, UNLESS I want to show off and climb up using no spikes and crimp on bark.
Rock shoes are to non supportive for a real working day in the trees, but you can do some impressive chit standing on a tiny tiny nubin / branch end.
Its all about the bark.
If the bark is solid, then climbing shoes are so fun, but if its shaggy and loose to heck with them.

 

[Frans]

I always wanted to try out the felt sole shoes for climbing. Here is one of the Cabelas model.

 

[Blinky]

........no you didn't..?................

I did, I swear... I'd have used my EBs but I couldn't find'em.

 

[Wagnaw]

I used to climb in these if I was between classes. They weren't bad if I laced them up tighter then I usually wear them.

 

[High Scale]

Emericas?

 

[Frans]

I used to climb in these if I was between classes. They weren't bad if I laced them up tighter then I usually wear them.

If you worked for me you would not work that day if you showed up wearing those.

I see guys wearing street shoes sometimes doing tree work.

It tells me that they are not thinking clearly. Would you wear flip flops while driving a motorcycle? If you say yes, or even maybe, then you are not thinking. Tree work requires thinking.

 

[Wagnaw]

Not for serious work... you kind of need to understand where I was working. I used to go to a work college, and the schedule revolved around classes. Sometimes, I would come to work not intending on doing anything but ground work or something, and it would just be a few new crew members, me, and a stuck line or something. So... I'd go up and reset the line, etc... I never actually worked in them. Sawdust loves to get in lowtop skate shoes, which sucks. So, with maybe one or two exceptions where I pruned a branch or two out, I always just ran up and ran back down in them.

 

[darkstar]

This thread is a crack up as most here have no idea what a rock shoe feels like.
Cozy and warm and you can stand on a dime edge.

 

[No_Bivy]

This thread is a crack up as most here have no idea what a rock shoe feels like.
Cozy and warm and you can stand on a dime edge.

 

[treesandsurf]

Anything that isn't conventional usually gets criticized.... at first!

jp

 

[Frans]

I have noticed that the rock climbing shoes slip very easily on wet smooth bark.
Thats why I am thinking of getting the felt soled boots. Wish they made them in rock climbing style shoes.

Some competitor glued the felt soles on a pair once for a climb in the rain

 

[No_Bivy]

Anything that isn't conventional usually gets criticized.... at first!

jp

no offense....but come on. I have been rock climbing since 88.....would not wear them in a tree. Try a "big wall boot" hybrid rock shoe slash boot. You can resole shoes with sticky dot rubber/

 

[ScottThornley]

This thread is a crack up as most here have no idea what a rock shoe feels like.
Cozy and warm and you can stand on a dime edge.

I'm going to seriously date myself here: I could wear my Altias all day long. If I kept my Lazers on for more than 45 minutes, I'd be in pure agony.

Scott

 

[NickfromWI]

Frans, I was wondering what the deal was with felt soled shoes. I'd never heard of it. Is rain-walking the big plus?

love
nick

 

[ScottThornley]

Nick,

Felt soles are the de facto standard for waders that are used in rocky, mossy rivers. They grip like nothing else when it comes to slime, putting even the rubbers designed for water shoes to shame.

Scott

 

[OTGBOSTON]

Frans, I was wondering what the deal was with felt soled shoes. I'd never heard of it. Is rain-walking the big plus?

love
nick

I think fly-fisherman wear them when wading in streams with slippery rock..